So it might come as a surprise that Rudy Giuliani — one of Trump's most fervent stumpers on the campaign trail — once made a passionate appeal in favor of shielding paperless immigrants from deportation.
Then the Republican mayor of New York City, Giuliani in 1996 praised immigrants — legal or otherwise — for their ability to "revitalize and reinvigorate" American cities and states.
"Yes, there are problems that need to be solved, especially with illegal immigration. But we should not be looking for scapegoats — we should be looking for answers," Giuliani said at a conference in Minneapolis, referencing the anti-immigration agenda being pushed by congressional conservatives at the time.
The mayor advocated that states should grant undocumented immigrants "a substantial degree of protection," as they are among the most marginalized people in society. He also argued that the federal government should in no way prevent states from doing so.
He evoked his own city as a "classic example" of a place where immigrants and citizens coexist in harmony.
"If I could take you out to Kennedy Airport — which in many ways is the Ellis Island of today — you would see people coming to America from many different parts of the world," Giuliani said. "In some ways they may look different and speak differently than the immigrants who came through Ellis Island. But the look in their eyes is the same…You can see that they are looking for a chance to build new lives in a country that provides freedom and opportunity."
"And they are exactly what America needs," he added.
Such comments prove a stark contrast to the staunch anti-immigration positions Giuliani toted while stumping for Trump on the campaign trial. The ex-mayor frequently railed against illegal immigrants, and lauded Trump's campaign promise to build a wall along Mexico's border.
The executive order issued on Wednesday pledges to start construction on such a wall immediately in order to keep undocumented immigrants out. Domestically, the order says the federal government must "ensure the removal of aliens who have no right to be in the United States" since they apparently cause "immeasurable harm to the American people and the very fabric of our Republic."
Giuliani has remained a loyal Trump supporter since early on, and was under consideration for several cabinet posts before being named the President's cybersecurity advisor earlier this month.
But the Giuliani of the past, who was dubbed "America's Mayor" for his role in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, would most likely not have been buddy-buddy with an immigrant skeptic such as Trump.
"In the last century, forward-looking, enlightened Americans joined together to stop the 'know-nothings,'" Giuliani said before the conference audience in Minneapolis. "The result was more immigration and an incredible economic expansion in the twentieth century. Today, we must do the same. We must stand up to the modern isolationist movement, and ensure that America's next century is as prosperous as the last."
Neither White House press aides nor Giuliani immediately returned a request for comment from the Daily News.
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